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Cox: Harry Angel can scale heights

Trainer says colt is "as exciting as anything that we have had in the past"

Clive Cox is looking forward to Harry Angel making his mark in the sprint category of this year’s QIPCO British Champions Series.

The three-year-old Dark Angel colt shaped with bundles of promise when pipped on his debut at Ascot last year and was then commanding when going one better in the Group 2 Mill Reef Stakes at Newbury in September.

Cox has the Commonwealth Cup at Royal Ascot in mind for him. He is quoted at between 7-1 and 10-1 in the ante-post betting.

“We’ve had some very good ones and he would be as exciting as anything that we have had in the past,” Cox said. “We will be working backwards from the Commonwealth Cup. He is a horse that needs more experience, even though he is already a Group Two winner.

“He will be entered in the Guineas for the simple possibility that he could start in a Guineas trial. His Group Two penalty is a little bit of a burden early doors.”

Cox achieved a memorable Group 1 double at Royal Ascot last year with My Dream Boat, who won the Prince of Wales’s Stakes, and Profitable, who landed the King’s Stand Stakes. The pair will be back for more this summer.

“I’m delighted My Dream Boat is staying in training and we are looking forward to exploring a mile and a half with him this year,” Cox said. “We will probably go to the Gordon Richards at Sandown with him first as he won that race last year.”

Profitable is likely to stick to races over the minimum trip.

Cox said: “We did explore the six furlongs when he was fourth in the July Cup. It’s very difficult to say he didn’t get the trip but he is definitely a better horse over five.

“He will have a pretty much identical programme. With him losing his Group One penalty it is very logical to start in the Palace House then follow the Temple and King’s Stand route.”

Zonderland will have big races over a mile on his schedule.

“Physically, he has done really well again,” Cox said. “He was always a big, scopey individual and I have every belief another winter on his back will see more progress.”